Friday, August 12, 2016

Five for Friday August 12

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.﻿ Thank you for hosting, Kacey!

Don't forget to get outside this weekend and reach for the stars! It hasn't rained practically all summer, here, but this weekend looks cloudy and rainy. Maybe it will clear up for a while for us. Otherwise, we've been watching the stars at the Olympics, which is pretty amazing, too!

I posted ALL about my favorite star activities, books, and freebies at PreK and K Sharing this week in honor of the meteor shower. My kids always love stars and learning to draw them. It's seems to be a kindergarten rite of passage to learn to draw stars. It's one of those proud moments for the kids that I love when they finally get it!

I hope all your wishes come true.

My sweet friend Amy had some great sensory bins in her classroom. They're great because they are a perfect size for a couple children, but not too huge. I was using dish bins from the dollar store which were TOOOO small, and my room looked like a huge sensory bin when the kids were done- meaning everything was everywhere.

SO- on one of our way-too-many trips to Walmart, I found this size bin misplaced in the wrong section. I heard little angels singing around it, so I went over to see what it was. AND, lo and behold, it was the perfect size sensory bin! It's not that huge, unde-bed size. I'm not sure of the size, but you'll know it because, you know, it comes with angels singing.

This bin has my kinetic sand in it. I'm sure you can find it lots of places. I got mine in Las Vegas last year. Why? Why would I want to add pounds to my luggage? I don't know. I was caught up in the moment by my love for the sand. I'm looking forward to it staying in the bin this year!

Our next trip to Walmart, I found another one of these perfect bins. I explained to Jeff that I neeeeeded it - and he said, "Well, if you NEEEEEED it, of course!"

These are some things I use with these bins. We found the shells on our Florida trip this year- just for our sand bin. We kept finding "scoopers." We got totally carried away and had to leave many scoopers behind.

I just put the finishing touches on our Healthy Body! Healthy Me! packet! Dr. Jean and I had fun with this one. It's an entire health curriculum, really. It's got everything you need-

songs, videos, 2 Prezis, book ideas, writing prompts, QR codes, activities, and lesson plans to teach the skeletal, muscular, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and excretory systems. It includes two Watch Me Grow activities that you can use throughout the year with your students, and a healthy habits section which includes activities to teach children about staying clean, getting rid of germs, teeth care, bedtime habits, safe foods, safety of all kinds, being kind, and feelings.

I posted ALL about it HERE if you'd like to see what the packet includes. I hope you

can use it! I use the activities throughout the year. I try to fit in healthy habit lessons and kindness/friendship lessons any chance I get.

I tried to help explain the "why" behind the drill in a gentle, positive way and to let the children know that a lockdown drill is just another way grown-ups are trying to keep everyone safe.

I know each school has its own rules and procedures, so this book doesn't go into that, but instead focuses on two important rules that we all need our students to follow: 1. Being great listeners and 2. Being still and silent. This book is a good introduction that teachers can expand on with their own

rules, expectations, and procedures after reading.

I've updated my Back to School Prezis with some new back to school videos. It's FREE at my TpT store. I love to use this Prezi, especially the first week of school. Then, I use it later when I teach the National Anthem. It's got back to school songs, stories, The Kissing Hand stories and videos, and videos about how crayons and pencils are made. It's fun for those extra minutes you have or if you just need a quiet break on those busy first days.

I also updated my Fun in Fall Prezis, (which include the Back to School Prezi), with some new and added videos. I use it so many times- for actually teaching (lots of science) and for making those "extra minutes" throughout the day productive.

1 comment:

Guess who is FINALLY going to have an interactive white board this year?? Wait for it... ME. I will be able to REALLY use your prezis now! Nice "seeing you." See you later, Kathleen Kidpeople Classroom